Nashville affordable housing updates and resources | Plazas

For the past 11 months, photographer George Walker IV, and Opinion Engagement Editor David Plazas — with support and guidance from The Tennessean team — have told the story about the growing gap between prosperity and inequality in this booming city.

A house along South Street stands next to new construction in the Edgehill neighborhood Jan. 18, 2017.(Photo: George Walker IV / The Tennessean)

Story Highlights

There have been several developments since the 2017 "Costs of Growth and Change in Nashville" series.

There also has been some excellent journalism by WPLN, Nashville Scene and others.

David Plazas is the director of opinion and engagement for the USA TODAY NETWORK - Tennessee

WelcomeHome coalition

A group of more than 50 community organizations and nonprofits joined together to form a new coalition called WelcomeHome to put pressure on Metro to create an affordable housing plan, invest in it and develop metrics to which it would hold itself accountable.

Public housing to mixed-income living

The Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency’s effort to create mixed-income living in public housing complexes continues, if slowly. The first new building in Cayce Homes, called Barrett Manor for existing residents, opened in August, and the groundbreaking for the first mixed-income living building happened in November.

Williamson County’s school funding

In February, Williamson County voters agreed to tax themselves a half-penny more to pay for needed future schools.

The county, which boasts the highest-performing schools in the state, did not have the money for 17 schools and 12,000 more students over the next 10 years because of a low property tax rate and heavy growth.

The sales tax increase, however, will only partially cover the need and other funding will be necessary in the future.

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The main entrance that both a new elementary and middle school will use in Thompson's Station, Tenn., on Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2017. The schools, which have not been named yet, are expected to open in Fall 2018 to keep up with growth in Williamson County. Mark Zaleski/ For The Tennessean

An elementary and middle school being built on Clayton Arnold Road on Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2017, in Thompson's Station, Tenn. The schools, which have not been named yet, are expected to open in Fall 2018 to keep up with growth in Williamson County.
Mark Zaleski/ For The Tennessean

An elementary and middle school are being built on Clayton Arnold Road in Thompson's Station. The schools, which have not been named yet, are expected to open in fall 2018 to keep up with growth in Williamson County. Mark Zaleski / For The Tennessean

An elementary and middle school being built on Clayton Arnold Road on Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2017, in Thompson's Station, Tenn. The schools, which have not been named yet, are expected to open in Fall 2018 to keep up with growth in Williamson County.
Mark Zaleski/ For The Tennessean

Builders work in the common area to be shared by the new elementary and middle schools in Thompson's Station on Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2017. The schools, which have not been named yet, are expected to open in fall 2018 to keep up with growth in Williamson County. Mark Zaleski / For The Tennessean

A worker uses concrete blocks to build a wall for the new middle school in Thompson's Station on Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2017. The school, which has not been named yet, is expected to open in fall 2018 to keep up with growth in Williamson County. Mark Zaleski / For The Tennessean

A worker sands concrete blocks in the common area to be shared by the new elementary and middle schools in Thompson's Station on Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2017. The schools, which have not been named yet, are expected to open in fall 2018 to keep up with growth in Williamson County. Mark Zaleski / For The Tennessean

The cafeteria that a new elementary and middle school will share in Thompson's Station, Tenn., on Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2017. The schools, which have not been named yet, are expected to open in Fall 2018 to keep up with growth in Williamson County.
Mark Zaleski/ For The Tennessean

A construction worker on the roof of a school being built in Thompson's Station, Tenn., on Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2017.
An elementary and middle school, which have not been named yet, are expected to open in Fall 2018 to keep up with growth in Williamson County.
Mark Zaleski/ For The Tennessean

A worker sweeps the floor of the new middle school gymnasium being built in Thompson's Station, Tenn., on Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2017. The school, which has not been named yet, is expected to open in Fall 2018 to keep up with growth in Williamson County.
Mark Zaleski/ For The Tennessean

Interested in this topic? You may also want to view these photo galleries:

Unity of purpose on homelessness

In June, the Metro Council took a giant step forward in its homeless policy by ending the board of the Metropolitan Homelessness Commission and agreeing to focus its efforts on a consolidated Continuum of Care Planning Council with MDHA.

This step removes redundancy of having two separate boards and creates one focal point for policymaking and recommendations and funding.

The office dedicated to these matters in Metro Government becomes the Metro Homeless Impact Division.

On Friday, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced that Nashville was one of 11 cities to receive a grant to combat youth homelessness. MDHA had applied for the grant in April in collaboration with the Metro Homeless Impact Division and 22 other agencies. The amount is $3.54 million.

“No child, teenager or young adult should have to live on the streets,” said Metro Nashville Mayor David Briley. “With a solid foundation of housing, services, planning and data, we can end youth homelessness, and this grant will help us do it.

Michael McEwen takes a rest at the Public Square outside the Metro Courthouse Thursday, Oct. 12, 2017 in Nashville, Tenn. McEwen has struggled with homelessness for close to 5 years. George Walker IV, George Walker IV / The Tennessea

Lamont Jones carries his backpack to a van as he and others load into a van to go to a shelter to sleep for the night Friday evening, Oct. 13, 2017 in Nashville, Tenn. Jones finds it hard to find steady employment in the restaurant industry while living on streets. George Walker IV, George Walker IV / The Tennessean

Tim Smith loads into a van as he and other homeless people are taken to a shelter Friday evening, Oct. 13, 2017 in Nashville, Tenn. Smith came from New Orleans after escaping Hurricane Katrina in 2005. George Walker IV, George Walker IV / The Tennessean

Wendell Segroves spends time with his dog Argo at his campsite Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2017, in Nashville. Segroves has been homeless since 2004 and serves on the Metro Homelessness Commission. George Walker IV / The Tennessean

CIVIL RIGHTS TOUR: Howard Allen finds inspiration to continue his advocacy for the homeless in the civil rights room of the Metro Nashville Public Library on Oct. 23, 2017. Allen, who is homeless himself, spends a large part of his days at the downtown library. George Walker IV / The Tennessean

A volunteer gives Howard Allen a haircut on the sidewalk on Seventh Avenue on Monday, Oct. 23, 2017, in Nashville. Howard Allen, 56, co-founder of the Nashville Homeless Underground, describes himself as "houseless" for the last 15 years. George Walker IV / The Tennessean

Damon Sanderson, 24, waits for a haircut outside a mobile shower truck for the homeless parked on Seventh Avenue on Oct. 23, 2017, in Nashville. Sanderson was kicked out of his home when he was 15 after coming out as gay to his mother. George Walker IV / The Tennessean

Interested in this topic? You may also want to view these photo galleries:

Short-term rental regulations

The Tennessee General Assembly in April nullified a new Metro Council ordinance to phase out investor-owned short-term rentals in residential areas.

The new law grandfathers in existing short-term rentals, but allows municipalities to ban future non-owner-occupied STRs, enforce rules on existing STRs and revoke permits of STR owners who violate local rules.

Short-term rentals, like Airbnb, HomeAway and VRBO (a branch of HomeAway), have caused controversy in Nashville. Some believe they benefit the city. Others feel like they are hurting neighborhoods.
Ayrika Whitney/USA TODAY NETWORK - Tennessee

More resources on housing

I wanted to share some articles and podcasts that I have consumed over the last several months that have been examples of great journalism on affordable housing in Nashville.

Meribah Knight of WPLN reported and narrated the outstanding podcast series “The Promise” about the Envision Cayce process, progress and pitfalls.

Nashville Scene reporter Steven Hale wrote an exquisite article about the 37208 ZIP code, which has the highest incarceration rates in the nation for people born in the early and mid-1980s. This ZIP code includes Cheatham Place and North Nashville but also the now tony Germantown — showing firsthand the widening wealth gap in Nashville.

John Buntin wrote an informative piece in Governing Magazine called “Musing City” that examines the direction Nashville heads in after the Megan Barry scandal.

Metro employee and community advocate Benjamin Eagles created the “Nashville Sounding Board” podcast, an excellent series of conversations with local leaders and newsmakers about the issues of the day in Nashville, from transit to the mayor’s race to property taxes.

If you have other recommendations, let me know and I’ll add them to this list.

Update: I promised I would add other recommendations to this list. Here's one I recently received:

"Education Conversations" hosted by Linda Dunnavant of Nashville, a former public schools teacher. The podcast is "centered around the past, present, and future of K-12 education in Nashville." Epidosde 12 features an interview with Columbia University Professor Ansley T. Erickson, author of "Making the Unequal Metropolis." She was one of my sources through the Costs of Growth and Change series.

David Plazas is the director of opinion and engagement for the USA TODAY NETWORK Tennessee. Call him at 615-259-8063, email him at dplazas@tennessean.com or tweet to him at @davidplazas.

A political action committee backed by Arizona Public Service, the state's electric company, is trying to keep a renewable energy initiative off the ballot. The cartoonist's homepage, azcentral.com/opinions/benson Steve Benson, The Arizona Republic

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says it is a-OK to confirm a Supreme Court justice right before an election. The late-night comics recall a different stance a couple of years ago, https://usat.ly/2MxorBy, on the Best of Late Night. USA TODAY